Giddyup Gala 2020 A Success!

Pictured: Jeff (father of Christina), Christina and Alex, their daughter Lily, and Dan (Lily’s caregiver)

Once again, we find ourselves overwhelmed by the energy and generosity of our incredible community. The 2020 Giddyup Gala saw more attendees than any previous Forward Stride gala! Old friends and new came out to dine, dance, and donate to a good cause.

We were excited to welcome Christina Schlegel, mother of Rehabilitation Services client Lily, to share their family’s story. Christina shared the story of how Forward Stride has provided hope for Lily’s future.

Our Pony Up Paddle Raise showcased our community’s generosity. Prior to the evening, Arlene Schnitzer & Jordan Schnitzer offered up a $20,000 challenge match and our community rose to the occasion, matching it in no time! The total of all pure donations from the gala, including the match, was $133,150!

The grand total for the evening of the 2020 Giddyup Gala, including silent auction, live auction, and Golden Ticket Raffle, was $176,260!

Thanks to our wonderful event sponsors, ticket sales and sponsorships covered the cost of the event so that every dollar raised during the evening itself went toward Forward Stride’s mission and programs. Our attendees got a taste of what these programs are like in our newest video, “Just Another 13-Hour Day!”

Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who made the night possible, including sponsors, staff, volunteers, donors, bidders, and supporters from afar. Your contributions have made a huge impact not only on Forward Stride, but on every life our programs touch. Our fundraising goal for this fiscal year (ending June 30th) is $520,000 and this event has brought us to $467,000. This means we are only $53,000 away from reaching our goal with 3 months left to go! If you weren’t able to attend the Giddyup Gala but you still want to donate, you may do so here!